Student bets scholarship if they dont win championship [Archive]

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dukebound85

Mar 9, 2009, 06:38 PM

um wtf was she thinking? there is nothing to be gained here. utter stupidity. makes me think how is she in college

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9313642/Sooners-star:-I-will-repay-scholarship-if-we-lose?MSNHPHCP&gt1=39002

leekohler

Mar 9, 2009, 06:41 PM

She should lose her scholarship for that. It shows she doesn't deserve or value it at all.

Saladinos

Mar 9, 2009, 06:47 PM

She should lose her scholarship for that. It shows she doesn't deserve or value it at all.

Agree.

Dagless

Mar 9, 2009, 09:06 PM

Sounds like she doesn't deserve that scholarship at all.

Demosthenes X

Mar 9, 2009, 09:54 PM

She should lose her scholarship for that. It shows she doesn't deserve or value it at all.

Agree.

Sounds like she doesn't deserve that scholarship at all.

Did any of you even read the article? She is not "betting" her scholarship. She has said she will repay her scholarship if the team looses. That is not the same as betting it.

I'm guessing it was a basketball scholarship. She apparently feels that if the team looses, then she does not deserve the money she was given, and thus she's pledged to pay it back. How, pray tell, is that indicative of her not deserving or appreciating it?

From the thread title I was expecting some idiot that bet their scholarship with a friend on the outcome of a game. This is very, very different...

Zombie Acorn

Mar 10, 2009, 12:31 AM

gibbz

Mar 10, 2009, 12:38 AM

Abstract

Mar 10, 2009, 01:38 AM

I think it's stupid, but I also don't think it should be against the rules, so I guess it's OK if she's that confident.

But someone really should tell her that reality bites. There's no such thing as free money, and this is as close to free money as she's ever going to get. Why give up one of the only occasions where this will happen?

MacDawg

Mar 10, 2009, 01:42 AM

I'm actually a Ph.D. student at Oklahoma. Courtney Paris is one of the more upstanding collegiate athletes that we have had in recent years and a good student. She is certainly not as dumb as a box of rocks. She has a passion to play and believes in her team. I have no problem with her offering to pay back her scholarship is they lose ... it certainly shows me that she values its importance a hell of a lot more than some of the idiot student athletes who get in trouble with the law and take a free education for granted.

I found the article a pretty interesting read... especially in light of the "one and done" players on the men's side. For many of them, the interest is only in auditioning for the NBA.

I don't doubt the sincerity... even if the statements are perhaps a little ill-advised. Too much room for misunderstanding, which is evident ;)

Woof, Woof - Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

dukebound85

Apr 5, 2009, 09:05 PM

well now that OU lost, you think she will follow through?

i swear, how stupid can one be? there's nothing at all to be gained

barr08

Apr 6, 2009, 11:26 AM

well now that OU lost, you think she will follow through?

i swear, how stupid can one be? there's nothing at all to be gained

Update here (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=4045542&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

Tomorrow

Apr 6, 2009, 01:20 PM

They don't recruit athletes for their academic achievements, shes probably dumb as a box of rocks. Our university had courses "tailored" to athletes so that they didn't go into academic probation. In regular classes they were also allowed to take their tests outside of class time with an assistant (guess who helped answer the questions?)

I'm not sure what your basis for this claim is, but you're way off-base.

I'm a graduate of OU and a former employee of the athletic department. I can assure you that classes are in no way "tailored" to anybody - I took classes with some of our athletes in several different sports, and it's the exact same class whether an athlete is enrolled or not.

As for taking tests outside of class time - if you bothered to pay attention, you'd notice that several athletes are not in class every single day, most frequently due to practice or travel schedules. There's nothing underhanded about this. The reason an assistant is present during the athlete's test is for the same reason a professor is present during everyone else's test - someone has to actually administer the test and answer questions if needed. The testing assistant is most often the professor's graduate assistant, who is held to the same ethical standards regarding cheating that the professor is.

These policies are not only normal, they are mandated by the NCAA.

I know it's easy for someone to shoot his/her mouth off at what they "think" happens in the athletic department, but until you've been there and lived it, it would be nice if you checked your facts first.

barr08

Apr 6, 2009, 02:37 PM

I'm not sure what your basis for this claim is, but you're way off-base.

I'm a graduate of OU and a former employee of the athletic department. I can assure you that classes are in no way "tailored" to anybody - I took classes with some of our athletes in several different sports, and it's the exact same class whether an athlete is enrolled or not.

As for taking tests outside of class time - if you bothered to pay attention, you'd notice that several athletes are not in class every single day, most frequently due to practice or travel schedules. There's nothing underhanded about this. The reason an assistant is present during the athlete's test is for the same reason a professor is present during everyone else's test - someone has to actually administer the test and answer questions if needed. The testing assistant is most often the professor's graduate assistant, who is held to the same ethical standards regarding cheating that the professor is.

These policies are not only normal, they are mandated by the NCAA.

I know it's easy for someone to shoot his/her mouth off at what they "think" happens in the athletic department, but until you've been there and lived it, it would be nice if you checked your facts first.

I agree with your facts here. I feel that often, student athletes are unfairly given a bad rap for things that are out of their control.

That being said, it's no secret that athletes at D1 schools get (sometimes rediculous) special treatment. I worked at my Universities TV station, focusing on sports coverage, so I had a lot of exposure to this, and I spent a lot of time at the athletic department. At the University of Hartford, it would be difficult to say that everyone is treated equally. For example, freshman athletes are given senior housing. Also, while athletes are mostly in the same classes, their actual experience in class is watered down, they miss many classes (which may or may not be related to practice or work out time in any given instance), and the testing is indeed done differently - my roomate worked as a tutor, and most of his students were athletes getting assisted with their exams, just like what was mentioned earlier in this thread - it isn't always the TA or the grad assistant.

And it goes beyond housing and classes. The university pays for segways which are given to just about all the athletes in the program. This is, in my opinion, an atrocious use of school funding. I have also had the unique opportunity to look inside the men's locker room (used only for baseball and basketball) - I couldn't count the number of HDTVs on two hands. For reference, many of my classes still used ancient standalone projectors for their slides. Yeah, the University of Hartford isn't well-known across the country for their academics or their athletics, but come on guys!

Just like in the real world, athletes are treated differently, and as a result, are held to a different set of rules and standards. Often, this results in a group of people totally ostracized by the community around them - whether they know/care or not. They live in a bubble, get the bare minimum of an education, and then head to the pros - as long as they're in the top 2-3% :rolleyes:. I consider this not only a disservice to the individual and the university, but to America as a whole as well.

Fake Hipster

Apr 6, 2009, 03:06 PM

From her speech:

"When you're good enough and don't do something, then you have to take accountability for that and that's your own fault," Paris said last month. "We can win a national championship. If we don't, I'll feel like I didn't earn my scholarship."

Prof.

Apr 6, 2009, 05:36 PM

I'm gonna laugh my ass off if they lose. Then I'm gonna punch her in the face.

mkrishnan

Apr 6, 2009, 05:43 PM

I'm gonna laugh my ass off if they lose. Then I'm gonna punch her in the face.

Now I'm confused.... They did lose, already. :confused:

So she wants to pay back her scholarship. The University of Michigan at times has guilt tripped me by implying I had an obligation to pay back my scholarships via donations to the University. If she wants to pay back her scholarship into their alumni scholarship fund, more power to her. I don't see how it's such a big deal.

And the article is kind of ridiculous also, in the sense that they were observing how difficult the payback would be for her to pay her $64k scholarship on WNBA salaries of "less than $100,000 a year." Please. People incur much larger student loans and don't make six figure incomes.

It seems that her values dictate she should pay the University for the money they invested in her. I don't see anything hugely ignoble in that.

Mr. lax

Apr 6, 2009, 10:02 PM

I'm gonna laugh my ass off if they lose. Then I'm gonna punch her in the face.

Easy big guy. And anyways, its over. They lost, the real question is whether or not you will live up to your promise like she did...

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:13 PM

They're not going to accept her payments. I don't know why everyone is so over the top about this. It's basically her way of saying that she didn't take anything for granted, and wanted to try her best to accomplish what they asked of her.

Not a big deal.

dukebound85

Apr 6, 2009, 10:14 PM

i hope shes smart enough to not do it regardless of what she said

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:18 PM

i hope shes smart enough to not do it regardless of what she said

It doesn't matter. They're not going to accept the payments.

dukebound85

Apr 6, 2009, 10:21 PM

It doesn't matter. They're not going to accept the payments.

how do you know that?

she did state that she still has every intention of paying it

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:25 PM

how do you know that?

There are many reasons. 1) How is the school going to handle a repayment of an account that has a balance of zero? Have you tried paying off a credit card that doesn't have a balance? 2) School PR. They're not going to let a kid repay the scholarship that they offered and signed. It does not look good. She is a kid at 22 and she clearly got caught up in the moment.

she did state that she still has every intention of paying it

That's nice and all. I have every intention of paying my parents $20k for raising me well, but that doesn't mean they're going to accept it.

synth3tik

Apr 6, 2009, 10:28 PM

I only wish I could have gotten a scholarship. That ungrateful S.o.W. should loose her scholarship. It should go to someone who wont bet it on a stupid game.

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:33 PM

I only wish I could have gotten a scholarship. That ungrateful S.o.W. should loose her scholarship. It should go to someone who wont bet it on a stupid game.

I'm not sure how you link ungrateful to what she did. She was trying to show how grateful she actually was. According to her, there were two sides to the deal: they'll pay the bill, and she'll help win a championship. She felt that she didn't complete her side of the bargain. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say, yes. Ungrateful would be taking the scholarship, and not caring about anything.

synth3tik

Apr 6, 2009, 10:38 PM

I'm not sure how you link ungrateful to what she did. She was trying to show how grateful she actually was. According to her, there were two sides to the deal: they'll pay the bill, and she'll help win a championship. She felt that she didn't complete her side of the bargain. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say, yes. Ungrateful would be taking the scholarship, and not caring about anything.

That scholarship is meant as a vehicle for learning. If she did not get a scholarship for that reason (IE because she is good at sports) then I personally think she did not deserve it. Of course it is not really my place to say waht people do and do not deserve, it's just my opinion.

Maybe if they don't win the championship, she takes her scholarship and gets educated.

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:42 PM

That scholarship is meant as a vehicle for learning. If she did not get a scholarship for that reason (IE because she is good at sports) then I personally think she did not deserve it. Of course it is not really my place to say waht people do and do not deserve, it's just my opinion.

Maybe if they don't win the championship, she takes her scholarship and gets educated.

That's just how it works. They are many other people in this world that get things they do not deserve.

Sports are a money maker and a recruiting tool. As such, they need to recruit the best players they can to support that tool. It's just the nature of the beast. How do you do that? Scholarships.

zap2

Apr 6, 2009, 10:42 PM

I didn't see anything legally binding, so she could easily not pay it.
Also she's likely going to the WNBA, and the best player makes 100k a year? I'm sorry, but while she won't be able to pay it back next year, give her a few years, and she could do it.

Oh, looks like she lost. Well she says she'll pay it back, but regardless...they're isn't a time frame and the college isn't coming for it. It could take her forever, no one is counting.

dukebound85

Apr 6, 2009, 10:44 PM

That's just how it works. They are many other people in this world that get things they do not deserve.

Sports are a money maker and a recruiting tool. As such, they need to recruit the best players they can to support that tool. It's just the nature of the beast. How do you do that? Scholarships.

winning a championship is not the condition for scholarships

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:45 PM

winning a championship is not the condition for scholarships

Yeah.... I know. That's why they're not going to accept the payments. Thanks for coming around.

dukebound85

Apr 6, 2009, 10:48 PM

Yeah.... I know. That's why they're not going to accept the payments. Thanks for coming around.

coming around?

i have always thought she was stupid to make such a silly bet that in no way benefited her while only having the potential to impact her negatively

i even said shed be stupid to pay it back

however, some people value their word and will make good on it. known as integrity.

she made that statement on national tv. so yea people are expecting her to pay it back whether OU wants her to or not

sbauer

Apr 6, 2009, 10:54 PM

coming around?

i have always thought she was stupid to make such a silly bet that in no way benefited her while only having the potential to impact her negatively

i even said shed be stupid to pay it back

however, some people value their word and will make good on it. known as integrity.

she made that statement on national tv. so yea people are expecting her to pay it back whether OU wants her to or not

She's not the first person to say something stupid while being caught up in the moment. She won't be the last either.

Here's the thing. After leaves school and goes onto whatever (WNBA, working world, etc..), how many people are going to remember her? Until I read this thread, I completely forgot about it.

If the school returns her payments, how is she going to make a payment? Is she supposed to sneak a check into their purse while they're not looking?

Tomorrow

Apr 6, 2009, 11:10 PM

i have always thought she was stupid to make such a silly bet that in no way benefited her...

Again, there was never a bet in place. Before the game she said she'd repay back her scholarship if the team lost. I'd call it more of a promise or a vow, but nothing at all like a bet.

But more to the issue, I agree it might not have been the smartest thing to do on her part. Universities don't expect players to pay back scholarships if they don't win championships. But hey, that's her choice.

My guess is that a bunch of boosters will chip in and pay for it.

WildCowboy

Apr 6, 2009, 11:18 PM

Her father was a first-round NFL draft choice with a nine-year pro career and three Super Bowl rings. I think her family can probably afford it.

SFStateStudent

Apr 7, 2009, 04:30 AM

Her father was a first-round NFL draft choice with a nine-year pro career and three Super Bowl rings. I think her family can probably afford it.

+1 ^^^ David Paris (Bubba's son) played for the Cal Golden Bears as a power forward and it seemed that the Bears coach utilized David to power-foul the opposing team into submission. Though Ashley and Courtney were highly recruited by Cal Woman's BB Coaching Staff b/c their older brother was playing at Cal, they could have gone to almost any other college/university and had Bubba pay their way. Let's not forget that these two women had the grades to attend Cal, Stanford, UCLA, and just about any other top college/university that happened to have a woman's basketball team....:cool:

dukebound85

Apr 7, 2009, 08:57 PM

OU doesnt want it

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney09/news/story?id=4050875

Malfoy

Apr 7, 2009, 09:42 PM

wow at some of the people in this thread...

I appreciate the idea of keeping her word but I have a greater appreciation for OU's not accepting her money.

GSMiller

Apr 7, 2009, 10:05 PM

...makes me think how is she in college...

Easy, she got in for free.

ProstheticHead

Apr 8, 2009, 02:41 PM

sbauer

Apr 8, 2009, 03:38 PM

I'm a firm believer that students with sports scholarships should have them revoked if their team fails to perform exceptionally. No win, no free money. Otherwise they're just taught that it's okay to suck if you were good at the beginning.

Right. That seems fair. During the life of that scholarship, the school has brought in a ton of money from various sources because of their athletic teams, and got their school's name in various households throughout the country. Regardless of the outcome, the school keeps whatever it has done prior to that point. But since they didn't win it all, the kids should have to pay. Give me a break.

What does "performing exceptionally" to you? Championship? Playoff spot? Winning record? Improvement over last year?

Malfoy

Apr 8, 2009, 04:20 PM

I'm a firm believer that students with sports scholarships should have them revoked if their team fails to perform exceptionally. No win, no free money. Otherwise they're just taught that it's okay to suck if you were good at the beginning.

I'd accept that they need to meet a benchmark under the assumption they get bonuses if they exceed that. In that case the UCONN girls should be flowing in the cash.

Mr. lax

Apr 9, 2009, 06:40 PM

I'm a firm believer that students with sports scholarships should have them revoked if their team fails to perform exceptionally. No win, no free money. Otherwise they're just taught that it's okay to suck if you were good at the beginning.

You have obviously never been an excellent player on a terrible team. Its not about the team not performing, its the players that get the scholarships

brax.j

Apr 9, 2009, 09:00 PM

She got an ATHLETIC scholarship which means OU gave her a scholarship to play basketball. If she decides that due to the fact that OU didn't win a NCAA championship she didn't deserve the scholarship and needs to pay it back then let her. When I got a full ride scholarship my dad sat down with me and said I have to get a 3.8GPA or he would make me pay it back. I was 18 so he couldn't really but I had respect for him so I would have if my GPA was below 3.8. Paris has respect for OU and believes that she was given a scholarship to perform well in sports she doesn't believe she did so she wants to pay it back even though she doesn't have to.

dukebound85

Apr 9, 2009, 09:06 PM

brax.j

Apr 9, 2009, 10:42 PM

LOL on what ive bolded

i would have NO respect for my parents if they actually told me that

not to mention most if not all "merit scholarships" have gpa and min credit requirements anyways to maintain the scholarship......

Why wouldn't you have respect for you parents? I was raised that if you are expected to do something you try and go above and beyond. I believe the scholarship required that I maintain a 3.5 me and my father talked and we agreed I could maintain a 3.8 or I wasn't living up to my scholarships expectations. BTW do you go to Duke or did you go there?

ucfgrad93

Apr 9, 2009, 11:02 PM

She should lose her scholarship for that. It shows she doesn't deserve or value it at all.

Agreed, what a boneheaded move.

dukebound85

Apr 9, 2009, 11:03 PM

Why wouldn't you have respect for you parents? I was raised that if you are expected to do something you try and go above and beyond. I believe the scholarship required that I maintain a 3.5 me and my father talked and we agreed I could maintain a 3.8 or I wasn't living up to my scholarships expectations. BTW do you go to Duke or did you go there?

Well considering my family didnt pay for any of my college..... then any "requirement" imposed by my parents above the school's requirement is absurd and i wouldnt respect them at all for suggesting that. in no way would i abide by it if they said it either....

to go above and beyond is good but there is way more to school than just grades to measure "above and beyond". some majors require much more effort than others, some work jobs, some have spouses, some play on athletic teams, etc

what would they make you do, cancel your scholarship? if so thats really unwise. turn down free money and hence getting into debt via loans probably for the sake of not getting a 3.8 when only a 3.5 is required is ridiculous logic

the way i paid for my university is none of my parents business and as long as i maintained my grades and kept my scholarship in accordance with the schools requirements, then who cares?

your scholarship expectations are the requirements to keep said scholarship determined by the school, not some phony gpa figure created by your dad. thats the whole purpose of the requirements in the first place

no i didnt go to duke, i graduated from colorado state a year ago